Betty Driver

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Betty Mary Driver, MBE (born May 20, 1920^{[citation needed]} in Leicester) is an English singer, actress and author, most famous for her role as Betty Williams on the British soap Coronation Street.

[edit] Career

In the 1930s and 1940s, she became famous as a singer in big bands. She appeared for many years on the radio show Henry Hall's Guest Night and on her own radio show, A Date with Betty. She recorded many popular tunes in the 1940s and became an established singer during this time.

She then moved into acting on the stage in the West End. In 1964, she auditioned for the role of Hilda Ogden on the television series Coronation Street (the role went to actress Jean Alexander as the casting directors wanted someone who did not weigh as much). She was cast later in the series Pardon the Expression, a spinoff of Coronation Street. After a much-publicized injury (she damaged her back after the script called for throwing series regular Arthur Lowe), she retired and started running a pub with her family in Cheshire.

In 1969, she was persuaded to come out of retirement to play police officer's wife 'Betty Turpin' on Coronation Street, a role she has played ever since. She is the longest serving barmaid in the history of the Rover's Return and Betty's Hot Pot (served at lunctime in the Rovers) is an iconic dish, which has also been offered as a ready meal in UK supermarkets.

Driver has written a memoir on her years in radio and television, called Betty.

In an interview on the Parkinson show on November 11, 2006, Sir Ian McKellen revealed that Driver still drives herself into work at 07:30 each morning, despite being aged 86.

She was named a Member of the Order of the British Empire (M.B.E.) by 'Queen Elizabeth II' on the Millenium New Year's Honours List on December 31, 1999

[edit] External links

• Betty Driver at the Internet Movie Database